Sarasota County Commission — District 1: Mike Moran

Even sitting at a diner out of his typical suit and tie on Sunday, Mike Moran keeps his phone close with an eye on his calendar.

After finishing a series of 45 events in 30 days, Moran still has another two weeks left in his campaign for the District 1 seat on the County Commission. Actually, according to the timer on his phone, he had 15 days, 15 hours, 10 minutes and 22 seconds left in his campaign — but who’s counting?

He’ll face off against Democrat Fredd “Glossie” Atkins, a former Sarasota mayor and city native, on Nov. 8.

Throughout his campaign, Moran has constructed a platform of “economic diversity in career creation” in what he says is an effort to grow the local economy and attract young professionals.

“We spend fortunes educating these children, and they go off to other places ...” Moran said. 

However, his motivations aren’t just economic.

Moran moved to Sarasota in 2002 from Michigan. After researching cities all over the country, Moran and his wife, Lori, settled on Sarasota. At the time, his kids were 2 and 4.

 “We just couldn’t believe all the stuff it had to offer,” Moran said.

His daughter, Laina, now 19, is headed to the University of Florida in January. His son, Mike Jr., will likely attend the University of Pennsylvania next fall.

“For us to move to Florida and then our kids move away, it was a big deal for us,” Moran said. “That’s why I’m so passionate about making sure we have an opportunity for these youth to come back.”

He calls himself the pro-business candidate. If elected, Moran said he would work with county leadership to explore niche industries, such as life sciences and sports medicine, to entice young professionals to invest in Sarasota County. 

In both the primary and general elections, he has been criticized as being pro-development — a characterization he rejects.

“I am a pro-business candidate, not a pro-development candidate,” Moran said. “I think their perception becomes their reality, that it’s related to development. It’s not. It’s related to economic diversity and business.”

However, he concedes that greater economic growth could cause continued development. Moran said he would like to see the county better anticipate its growth by preparing infrastructure to accommodate current and future development.

“There are no surprises here,” Moran said. “The growth is to the east and to the south, and we need to get ahead of it.”

Moran remains optimistic about the state of the county. By highlighting some of his top concerns in his campaign, he’s trying to help make his adopted home a better place. 

“Not to say that we don’t have issues that need to be addressed, but there is nothing that cannot be overcome,” he said.